1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a chlorofluorocarbon recovery device for recovering and recycling chlorofluorocarbon (also known by the trade name "Freon") widely used as coolant for automobile coolers and various cooling and refrigerating machines, while avoiding dissipation of the chlorofluorocarbon into the atmosphere during automobile cooler repair or destruction.
2. Prior Art
Chlorofluorocarbon are low in toxicity, odorless and harmless, are free from combustibility and chemical instability, are excellent in electric insulation, relatively non-corrosive in the absence of moisture, and extremely safe; hence, they are widely used as coolant for cooling machines and refrigerators. Additionally, they are widely used for spray propellants and in various cleaning agents, and their production is rapidly increasing. Global production of chlorofluorocarbon has exceeded one million tons and continues to increase.
High concentrations of chlorofluorocarbon tend to dissipate into the atmosphere at the time of repair and demolition of automobiles, air conditioners, and refrigerators. For example, with respect to automobile air conditioners, in Japan, about 6 million cars are destroyed each year, and about 80 percent of them are equipped with air conditioners; each air-conditioned car contains about 1 kg of chlorofluorocarbon, which means a total of nearly 5,000 tons. They dissipate into the air and cannot be recovered when the piping is cut off. A similar situation occurs in the repair and destruction of other air conditioning machines and refrigerators, not only in Japan but also in other nations; hence, the total amount of chlorofluorocarbon lost to the atmosphere from the entire world is tremendous. When such a huge volume of chlorofluorocarbon continues to be released every year, the chlorofluorocarbon climb up through the atmosphere to reach the stratosphere, where they are decomposed by short wavelength ultraviolet rays and other reaction substances to form oxides. The ozonosphere, which normally prevents the ultraviolet rays from penetrating the atmosphere, is destroyed by these oxides. Thus, the quantity of ultraviolet rays reaching the earth's surface increases, which may adversely affect all of the earth's organisms, including humans, and may also bring about drastic changes in the weather and climate, as many scientists forewarn. This is a serious environmental problem.